RCI Cybermagazine

Who doesn’t hate the high-pitched whine of a mosquito in your ear as it homes in for an itchy “bite?” Well, there may be an effective, chemical-free solution.

It’s actually one of those fortunate coincidences. As an aspect of another research project, Professor Gerardo Ulibarri of Laurentian University in northern Ontario, developed a mosquito trap that has proven to be very effective in reducing mosquito populations.

It doesn’t trap the biting female mosquito, but rather her eggs and larvae. This eliminates the second generation, and therefore substantially reduces future numbers of the insect.

It's also a simple, low–cost design which can be made to target specific disease-bearing species, like those carrying West Nile virus, or malaria, or dengue fever

RCI’s Marc Montgomery reached Professor Ulibarri at the Sudbury campus of Laurentian University

Giving homes to the homeless is what the Calgary Homeless Foundation does. Eliminating homelessness in the western Canadian city of Calgary by the year 2018 is the Foundation's goal.

Since its inception, the Foundation has helped thousands of homeless people by giving them homes, rather then offering temporary shelters. At the same time its work has reduced the costs associated with homelessness, such as hospital visits, interactions with police, and emprisonment.

RCI's Wojtek Gwiazda spoke to the Foundation's President and CEO Dr John Rook who believes people don't earn the right to a home, they have a right to a home.

Mental health problems plague 450-500 million people around the world. 85% of those with serious mental disorders don’t have access to treatment. A project funded by the Government of Canada will spend $19.4 million to try to change that. Grand Challenges Canada has chosen 15 “innovative, pioneering projects” to improve mental health diagnosis and care in the developing world. RCI’s Lynn Desjardins has more.

It took only seconds for people in Montreal to turn to Twitter and other social media, to check and confirm that they had just felt something, probably an earthquake. The 4.5 level earthquake rumbled at 19 minutes past midnight on October 10. [...]

How well is Canada treating children? A United Nations committee looked at how well Canada is implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child and concluded its new crime bill no longer conforms to the convention or other international norms. [...]